episode_0177

A few days before the start of the social gathering.

As the curfew for the cradle was lifted, a call was received from the compassionate Black Lotus family.

She sat across from the landlady of Heukryeon, with a small table between them.

The landlady, who at first glance seemed to be around the same age as her, asked in a kind voice.

“Yeah, how are you doing these days?”

“Yes. Thanks for your concern… ”

Yeonminha bowed her head slightly to show her respect. There was not a single flaw in her elegant posture and her manners were impeccable.

“Thank goodness. I was worried a lot. But if something happens, I’ll definitely… ”

The hostess nodded with a warm smile and continued talking about this and that.

I sat with my knees together in compassion and listened to her words, but on the other hand, I was also filled with curiosity.

As far as she knows, Heukryeon is very busy right now. It’s the daily life of a high-ranking family, and since she’s returned to politics after a long time, she’s probably overflowing with things to do.

In the midst of all this, she couldn’t figure out why she had suddenly been called by her prospective cigar partner. It was even a meeting that had been kept a secret from the man.

“Ahem, the reason I called you like this is none other than this.”

Yeonmin-ha’s doubts could only be resolved after seeing something the landlady handed her.

“I got this call from the cradle a while ago… ”

“What…? Phew.”

Yeonmin, who had been looking bewildered, barely managed to hold back the sudden groan. It was the first time that she, who had always been elegant, had become disheveled.

What was placed on the table was a thick paper envelope with the seal of the Cradle Education Committee stamped on it in a large envelope the size of a door.

-Request for clarification.

Several pages of documents repeatedly mention Yeonmin Ha and the male student’s names.

-There have been numerous reports of unhealthy behavior by the above students…

-I demand an appropriate explanation for this…

-Please be advised that there may be corresponding punishments in the future…

“… ”

Yeonminha’s hands, which were holding the documents, were trembling. Her pure white skin had long since turned bright red with shame.

‘What kind of bitches are reporting…’

Her heart was boiling with rage like lava. Her only unhealthy behaviors were minor ones like walking arm in arm in the garden, burying her face in his firm chest, and barely resisting the urge to lick the sauce off his lips and wiping it with her fingers.

‘I couldn’t even do what I really wanted to do…’

He looked at the hostess’s face with a look of confusion that was not in response to pity. Perhaps this call was intended to reprimand him for not being polite.

“I… This is… ”

“You don’t have to do that. I didn’t call you with any intention of saying anything.”

But the landlady still looked at her with a kind expression. I don’t know if it was an illusion, but her smile seemed to even bring a sense of happiness.

Only then, when I felt compassion, could I calm my mind a little.

“You like our second one, don’t you?”

Until the landlady asked a question out of the blue.

“… Yes, huh?”

Yeonminha was so shocked that she ended up biting her tongue. Her heart sank, her pupils trembled. For a moment, she thought it was a joke, and Yeonminha barely raised her gaze to check the hostess’s expression.

And only when she saw the hostess waiting for her answer with her teacup in hand did she realize that it was a serious question.

After a long time had passed.

The compassionate man, whose earlobes were dyed red, barely nodded his head.

“… Yes.”

There was not a trace of venom or arrogance on her face. All that was there was a girl suffering from a fever that could only be cured by one method.

“… I’m glad that you and your child are doing well.”

The landlady still treated her with a gentle smile.

“Thank goodness, really. I was really worried… ”

It was only a few months ago that the landlady became aware of the boy’s existence.

A personal statement of someone who suddenly arrived in the name of the eldest son, who had already left home and was unknown to anyone.

‘I will accept this boy as a member of the family, and I will treat him accordingly as I have already given him the seal of succession.’

It was a very sudden and shocking contact for the first time in over a decade. However, the couple silently accepted the eldest son’s request. Even that was not enough to atone for his sins.

‘Extreme avoidance of women of the same age, traumatic reactions bordering on fear, the mask is the only psychological defense mechanism, never attempt to take it off arbitrarily, and if the mask is damaged or lost, take immediate action.’

The landlady remembered every single word of the precautions written on the personal statement without fail. So it was truly fortunate that Yeonmin-ha was close to the boy.

Until now.

“So… what are you going to do now?”

“… ”

There were three ways to respond to the request for a citation.

First, vehemently deny all the allegations as false accusations.

Second. Get punished for unhealthy relationships between people of the opposite sex that you can’t ignore or ignore.

Third, apply for a formal examination to have your bloodline union qualifications recognized, i.e., engagement.

“Haha, I guess I asked the wrong thing… ”

And Yeonmin-ha’s face, burying her head in shame and unable to answer, was the same as the answer.

The afternoon sunlight was shining warmly through the window. The hostess turned her head and stared at the clear sky beyond.

“There were a lot of rumors about the cradle back in my day. The nameless school girl by the pond, the moving demon specimen in the basement, the love-making mistletoe… I wonder if they still exist these days.”

“Even these days… there are.”

“Oh, really? That’s nice. It brings back old memories… ”

Yeonmin nodded at the landlady’s words. She didn’t care about the gossip, but she was also paying close attention to the story of the winter solstice that made love come true.

“Social, social… It’s a really good time… ”

The landlady, who had been lost in thought for a while, turned her head to Yeonminha again. A hint of regret was visible in her eyes.

“… You must be very worried because of our child.”

It was not difficult to understand what the compassionate landlady meant.

“It was the same when I was a kid too… Seriously, how did that kid bring home a kid who looks just like him… ”

Sa Jae-hyeok is a pervert, Sa Jae-hyeok is a lecher.

Yeonmin-ha also knows his name well. A man who believed in the power of his family and indulged in debauchery, committing all sorts of wicked acts. How many women did he change in a single semester?

It seemed like he had a brief resurgence and eventually became the student council president of Cradle, but he was unable to overcome his innate nature and committed a serious crime, leading to his expulsion from the wizarding community.

Of course, now I know very well that he was the man’s benefactor. I also realized that the rumors were quite exaggerated.

But after hearing what the landlady said, it seems like it wasn’t all a lie.

The only difference is that the masked boy is someone who clings to him against his will.

It was a part that made Yeonmin-ha anxious and very nervous.

“He’s such a great person. Of course he should take responsibility.”

But he nodded without showing any sign of pity.

“Yeah… I see… ”

The landlady nodded as she looked at such compassion. The sadness that compassion seemed to be giving her was a little strange.

“… We hope you get chosen this time too. We really do.”

“… Yes?”

“You want to be chosen?” asked the pitiful monk, unable to properly understand the landlady’s words.

At first, I thought it was a rough and decidedly not bad atmosphere. I even had hopes that maybe the relationship between me and the man would be acknowledged here.

“I hope you don’t misunderstand. We like you too. We also want you to get closer to that kid.”

The landlady continued her explanation in a calm voice.

“But even if that child chooses someone other than you, we are willing to respect and support that choice. Whoever it is.”

My compassionate brain was as if it had been bleached white, and I couldn’t think of anything. I just kept trembling my fingers.

There were countless girls who had tried to flirt with him later on, but there was only one person she could think of right now.

A female student who cannot even be described as a rival, who is determined to take away the one thing that is left of hers.

Baek Seo-yeon of Paechon.

“Uh, why… ”

“… I’m sorry.”

The landlady apologized to her in a heartfelt voice.

“We… don’t want to repeat the same mistake again.”

She dropped her pitying gaze. It seemed as if there was something wrong with them, but she had no reason to care about that now.

“It’s up to you to be chosen. Do you understand what I mean?”

The silence was not long. The compassionate man raised his head again, clenching his fists.

“… Don’t worry.”

Extreme anxiety, desperation, a clear determination, a sense of danger. These were exactly the kinds of emotions that one would feel when going out to battle.

“Because I will definitely be chosen.”

***

In the student council room, the last meeting before the social gathering was being held.

“Thanks to all the help from the young ladies, I feel very strong… haha… ”

The bespectacled boy with a timid expression sitting at the head of the class had a mean smile on his face.

On the table in front of him, a nameplate that read ‘Student President’ sparkled in the light.

“I have a very good feeling…! I’m sure this social event will be a great success.”

The chairman, who came from a lower class, seemed to feel a great deal of pressure as he looked at the young ladies from prestigious families sitting on either side of him.

He suppressed his nausea and flipped through the documents.

“… And there was a strong request from the Board of Education. They asked that all illegal gatherings that cause public morals be strictly punished… I hope that all executives will take note of that… ”

“Don’t worry.”

Before the chairman could even finish speaking, a female student with braided hair and glasses sitting on the left answered.

“I’ll kill you as soon as I get caught.”

Choi I-re, the leader of the vanguard, touched the non-lethal suppression blade on his waist as if he was strengthening his resolve. The chairman swallowed hard when he saw that.

“Ha, haha… As expected, he is the leader of the vanguard… Just his words alone give me confidence… ”

‘ha…’

She was listening to all those pitiful scenes with one ear and letting them go out the other. Illegal gatherings and such were of no importance to her.

He sat with his legs crossed and stared at the pitying person opposite him.

The sight of Baek Seo-yeon imitating the elegant and graceful Yeong-ae once again makes me feel irritated.

‘ha…’

She swallowed a sigh inwardly. Baek Seo-yeon was the biggest problem and source of anxiety she faced.

After the conversation with the Black Lotus hostess, the first thing that pity did was to block that unsettling factor.

It was a relatively quick move. The only problem was that Baek Seo-yeon didn’t even pretend to listen to her.

Since he had to run a small group during the social gathering, Yeonmin-ha, who had been full of thoughts of flirting with him the whole time, was in a state of panic.

‘That year, she was in the same situation…’

I had a gut feeling that my club wasn’t going to be a big hit this year. I was too embarrassed to even mention it to the guy.

Of course, it would be ridiculous to just give up the position of group leader. It would obviously be a laughing stock for a long time, and I didn’t want to show my irresponsible side to men.

Of course, even if you are the head of a gathering, you are given some free time to enjoy socializing. In that respect, she is better than Baek Seo-yeon.

The gathering at Paechon was expected to be so popular that they had to rent a hall that could accommodate two hundred people.

Of course, it will be that much more difficult to find time.

Of course, it means that you are not the only one who is anxious.

‘Barely surviving… barely surviving… ‘

He decided to take comfort in that little bit of pity. And then he desperately thought back on his plan.

“Then let’s end the meeting here… ”

“Wait a minute. There’s another agenda item.”

The student council president was just about to wrap up the meeting. A proud-looking female student sitting on the same side as Baek Seo-yeon raised her hand and spoke.

Her face was filled with an emotion that could be either discontent or anger. The space where her little finger should have been was empty.

Cheon Ha-rin was glaring at Yeon Min-ha, who was sitting across from her, as if she was going to kill her.

“Hey, pity me. You’re so shameless.”

“… ?”

The chairman’s face turned pale at her sharp words. Only then did he realize she was pitiful and tilt his head.

“Excuse me… Is there a problem between you two…?”

“That girl humiliated my brother. She twisted his arm and threw him on the floor. She even mobilized my juniors! Isn’t that disciplinary action?”

Cheon Ha-rin’s anger exploded at the sight of Yeon Min-ha’s gaze, which was like looking at a disgusting insect.

“Hey. Should I say something? Did you think I’d just let it go because no one was watching? Huh?”

“Sigh… ”

I let out a sigh of pity at Cheon Ha-rin’s harsh words. An annoyed look was clearly visible on her face.

“I… Yeong-ae, do you have any compassion? Could you please tell me the whole story…? Just in case there is any misunderstanding… ”

“Never.”

“Hey! This shameless bitch is really…!”

He said it bluntly, as if he had no compassion for her. He didn’t want to waste his energy on someone like Cheon Ha-rin in the current situation.

But the next moment.

The corners of his lips curled upwards as if he had just had a thought of something compassionate.

“Ah. Wait a minute.”

She turned her thoughts upside down.

If you think about it, it was just the perfect stress relief that rolled in on its own.

“Come to think of it… I think there was a time when a horny little shit got stuck to me. I got it off with the help of a junior who happened to be passing by. Man… It was so hard… ”

At the voice that clearly showed signs of acting, Cheon Ha-rin’s anger exploded.

“Hey! What a pity! What did you do to my brother…!”

“The siblings are both so undignified. Should I reveal everything that happened to me? Huh?”

“You… !”

“Harin-ah. Before you say anything to anyone, shouldn’t you take good care of your brother? That’s why you won’t be able to find a proper fiancé until you graduate… ”

“You…! I just finished talking!!”

‘This is it.’

I could feel a sense of full satisfaction and compassion. Just looking at Cheon Ha-rin running wild had the effect of making the corners of my mouth go up.

In any case, it is a situation where they can claim that they broke the rules first. At best, there is mutual negligence and no witnesses.

She planned to tease Cheon Ha-rin a little, feel sorry for her, then return to the dormitory and hug the man tightly to relieve some of her stress.

“Don’t be like that, Min-ha.”

But the next moment, I heard someone’s voice. I turned my eyes, which had frozen in a moment of pity.

The chairman had no power to suppress this situation. As always, it was Baek Seo-yeon with a bright smile who stepped in for him.

“It could be because you are not good at expressing your feelings. How about we try to become closer during this social gathering?”

“Ha… ”

He let out a hollow laugh, as if it wasn’t even funny.